PACER Case Locator (PCL)

aid: pacer-case-locator-pcl-
name: PACER Case Locator (PCL)
description: >-
  The PACER Case Locator (PCL) is a nationwide index of federal court cases.
  The public PCL API allows users to programmatically search the PCL for
  federal cases across U.S. district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts using
  the same search functionality and dataset as the PCL web application.
type: Index
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
  - Courts
  - Federal Cases
  - Government
  - Legal
url: >-
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/pacer-case-locator-pcl-/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2024-11-20'
modified: '2026-04-28'
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
  - aid: pacer-case-locator-pcl-:pacer-case-locator-pcl-
    name: PACER Case Locator (PCL) API
    description: >-
      The PACER Case Locator (PCL) API allows users to programmatically search
      the nationwide index of federal court cases for U.S. district, bankruptcy,
      and appellate courts.
    humanURL: https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/developer-resources
    tags:
      - Courts
      - Federal Cases
      - Legal
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/developer-resources
      - type: Authentication
        url: https://pacer.uscourts.gov/help/pacer/pacer-authentication-api-user-guide
      - type: Contact
        url: mailto:[email protected]
common:
  - type: Website
    url: https://pacer.uscourts.gov
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/developer-resources
  - type: Contact
    url: mailto:[email protected]
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: [email protected]